


‘cause i can’t help thinking (and i won’t stop now)

by leiasfate



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, LadyNoir - Freeform, No Angst, Post Miracle Queen, Spoilers for Miracle Queen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-17 15:11:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21056462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leiasfate/pseuds/leiasfate
Summary: “She hadn’t allowed herself to have feelings for her partner, too faithful to her crush, but said crush was fading more and more with each day that passed. And with those days, what she felt for Chat became as clear as day.”Marinette does some thinking, and she comes to a big realization. Wasn’t it said that they made for each other, after all?





	‘cause i can’t help thinking (and i won’t stop now)

Marinette felt exhausted, but exhausted had become her new normal, so it wasn’t anything new.

It had been a painfully long week since Chloé had been akumatized, and thankfully for Marinette’s sanity, she hadn’t gone to school ever since. She had a lot to deal with, and Chloé was the last person she needed to see.

Master Fu was gone, without any memory of knowing her or being the Guardian. The emptiness she felt as she saw his train depart was overwhelming, and it hadn’t gone away. She was truly alone, with no one to talk to about her double life, except for the kwamis. She appreciated them, really, but they could only understand so far about human emotions. And every time they called her ‘Master’, it felt like more weight was being added to her shoulders.

Marinette was the Guardian, and she had to protect the Miracle Box with her life, while having a perfect judgement in order to choose the right holders. It was all thrown at her so fast that she hadn’t had a moment to relax. Every time she tried, her mind would drift off to that fateful day where she’d made a mistake and lost one of the most important people in her life.

There was also the matter of her love life, but she had avoided thinking about it. She had stopped swooning over Adrien, only acknowledging him when she said good morning for courtesy. Apparently, he was doing well with Kagami, despite Alya trying to make her feel better by saying Nino told her they weren’t together. And Luka... she didn’t know how she felt about him. He’d been there for her, had supported her when she needed it the most, but... she didn’t love him like that. What she felt for him was more friendly than romantic.

She couldn’t even  try  to have something with him. Not when there was someone else who had believed in her since day one, who always knew what to say in order to lift her spirits, and always tried his absolute best to make her smile. Chat Noir, who had always loved her, but she’d rejected him because she was pursuing a fantasy. She hadn’t allowed herself to have feelings for her partner, too faithful to her crush, but said crush was fading more and more with each day that passed. And with those days, what she felt for Chat became as clear as day.

Marinette realized that she cared about him more than anything in the world, and her biggest fear was losing him, be it in battle or having to lose her memories. God, she couldn’t stand the thought of forgetting him, of never remembering the moments they had together. She would be the Guardian until her last breath, and she would do everything in her power to make sure of it. She wouldn’t forget.

Contrary to what she made Chat believe, she  _had_ been jealous when he stopped calling her ‘my lady’. The lack of the nickname had left a void on her chest, and after everything that happened, she longed to hear his voice uttering those two words in the endearing tone he always had for her. Despite that, she knew she’d brought his distance upon herself. She had always rejected him, and he had every right to move on. It hurt, but there was nothing she could do.

She hadn’t seen him since Miracle Queen, but they were due for patrol that night. Maybe she could ask him about how he felt, and if he’d moved on, she wouldn’t bother him. But if he still felt the same... wow, she would be truly happy for the first time in days.

With anticipation running through her, she called out her transformation and soared into the night, to their favorite meeting spot.

Chat was already there, and Ladybug’s heart did a flip as soon as she caught sight of him. She had never been so nervous about anything before.

“Hey, Chat.”

“Hey, LB.” He smiled. “How’s it going?”

She sat down beside him, shoulders slumping. “Kind of a rough week, but I’ll manage.”

“I’m here for you if you need to talk about it, okay?” When she nodded, he let out a sigh. “I haven’t had the best week either.”

“How so?”

“There’s this girl...” Her heart dropped. “She likes me, and I agreed to go out with her to see if we could take our relationship further, but... I can’t. I don’t want that, I’m not ready, and I’ve been going crazy trying to figure out how to tell her.”

Was it a bad thing that she felt relieved? Maybe she hadn’t missed her chance after all. It was now or never, she had to tell him right then.

“Well...” She shifted to face towards him. “I’ve had a realization in the love department this week.”

Even though he tried his best to hide it, she could see Chat’s curiosity. “What is it?”

“I, uh— there’s a boy who’s always supported me and been there for me, has always seen the best in me, no matter what, but I hadn’t accepted his feelings because I was too busy fantasizing about another guy who never felt anything more than friendship for me. But now that I’ve finally let go of that fantasy, I realized that nobody will ever love me the way that boy does. And I also realized how deeply in love I am with him, even if I had never admitted it to myself before.” She took a deep breath to continue, while Chat stared at her, dumbfounded. “I care about him more than words can explain, and I can’t even imagine my life without him. I just wonder if he feels the same way...”

The leather-clad hero was staring at her with wide eyes, mouth open in a gasp. Ladybug grabbed his hand, and copying what he had done countless times, pressed her lips to his knuckles. “...Or if it’s too late.”

Slowly, her words started dawning on him, and Chat’s lips split into a grin. Ladybug thought it was so bright the sun would be envious.

The hand she’d been holding in her own moved to cup her face, as his forehead touched hers. A wave of relief and adoration washed over her.

“It’s never too late, my lady.”


End file.
